Skincare brand in the spotlight-Oskia ( part one )

Oskia ( the name is derived from ancient Greek, meaning ‘delivering nutrients and beauty’ ) is a British skincare brand that was created by Georgie Cleeve, former skincare therapist with the help of the renowned French cosmetic chemist Dr Colette Haydon. The brand itself is fairly young, but the range and its MSM supplement ( it stands for MethylSulfonyl Methane and it is one of the key nutrients around which the range is built. It is the most bio-available form of mineral sulphur that plays an important part in more that 150 bodily functions and is particularly important for increasing production of collagen, elastin and keratin which in turn are responsible for how well our skin, hair and nails look) are already making waves in the beauty world-on the beauty counters, bathroom shelves and in the press.

I first have heard about this brand early last year, while having a facial with Abigail James, who has been working with Oskia and later developed their facials treatment technique, that I got to experience at Liberty’s of London last weekend.

At the time that I saw Abigail the range’s packaging was getting changed but Abigail’s recommendation was to try Oskia’s micro exfoliating balm, as she said that it ‘has a beautiful fine texture but really does the job, you use it neat then add a little water and the MSN exfoliating beads dissolve and go smooth’. She also told me that the renaissance mask ‘is amazing, it’s quite active, but it does really brighten the skin’, as well as the ‘bed time beauty boost’, which in her words ‘is a great anti-aging moisturiser, your skin in the morning actually feels and looks better, it is full of very active natural anti-aging ingredients, so it can tingle for the first few days of using it, so I start with a tiny amount then increase after five days and I really love this during the day as well’.

My first Oskia purchase though was their ‘Perfect cleanser: nutri-active cleansing & nourishing balm, which contains MSM, Zinc Glycine complex, Vitamin E, Omegas 3, 6 & 9 plus prebiotic oligosaccharide, coconut & rosehip oil ‘. When you squeeze it in your hand and spread it all over the face it feels very nurturing and gentle, like an oil but then you add a little bit of water and it turns into a soft milk which cleans and purifies your face, rejuvenates your skin texture, protecting the skin from harmful bacteria and restores softness and elasticity-you feel like you have cleansed the face and applied the mask at the same time-I absolutely love it !!

Then I tried Oskia’s ‘Get Up & Glow’ radiance, energy & protection booster and within days my favourite Kiehl’s acai berry serum has lost its top spot. This serum is enriched with 12 (!) beauty-boosting actives, which are: ribose ( known as beauty sugar, benefiting all cell processes ), galactoarabinan ( a vegetable alternative to collagen ), butterbur ( responsible for reducing redness & irritation ), MSM ( helping collagen production ), natural light reflecting pigments-you see their effect instantly, as soon as you apply the serum to your face , milk peptides ( help to lift, firm & tone the skin ), Vitamin E, Phytoquintescine & Prebiotics, all of which help to protect the skin against free radicals, UV damage & harmful bacteria, Hyaluronic Acid & Biosaccharides which provide our skin with long-lasting hydration, as well as my personal favourite ingredient, which has been making waves in the European press for quite a few years, Swiss Apple Stem Cells plus O3 Stressed yeast Lysate, which prolong the life of skin cells and help to protect & repair DNA.Even if you don’t put the moisturiser on top of this serum the effect is just beautiful-you simply glow!

Oskia’s Renaissance mask has been winning awards, but even though it suits all skin types I wasn’t bowled over by it. This mask has eight beauty-boosting active ingredients, including MSM, Papaya enzymes, swiss garden cress liposomes, ribose and passionfruit AHAs. This mask aims to remove dead skin cells and boost skin regenerations.

My other favourite product from Oskia range is their Bedtime Beauty Boost, which is a nutri-active nourishing & regenerating night cream. It has a light consistency that sinks into your skin very quickly, without leaving any residue, it smells of roses and calms your senses too. This cream boasts 11 active ingredients, including MSM, Swiss Apple Stem Cells, vitamin E ( protects against free radicals damage ), Omegas 3, 6 & 9 ( from Shea butter and jojoba, rice germ & rose hip seed oils all of which help the skin to improve its barrier function and hydration and boost lipid content ), Milk peptides ( help to smooth wrinkles & fine lines ) and Natural Vitamin A that repairs and rejuvenates your skin. Since I started using it a couple of weeks ago my skin feels plumper and fresher in the morning.

I have also tried Oskia’s nutri-active brightening & refining exfoliant and it was the only product from the range that my skin found too active-it didn’t go red, or even pink, but it felt uncomfortably tingly for a while. You have to bear in mind that everyone’s skin and its sensitivity to active ingredients is different, so on this occasion don’t take my experience on board and just see if this exfoliant works its magic on you. As Oskia contains lots of active ingredients the best way is to try the products slowly and as your skin gets used to the ingredients, you can introduce more products.

If you need more information about Oskia, go to their site, which in my view, is by far the best across the board of skincare ranges. It’s easy to navigate, has all the information about products and ingredients, and most importantly, has videos where Georgia, Oskia’s founder, who has the most beautiful, glowing skin-a testament to the effect of her skincare !!- explains the idea, ingredients and effect you can expect from each product in the range. I also really like their packaging and the design and the jars/tubs themselves look smart and expensive, so you not only have something that looks great on your bathroom shelf, but more importantly you will nurture and improve the way you look outside and inside.

You also have to bear in mind, and for me it is becoming a more important factor than ever before, that Oskia is 98% natural skincare range that uses only synthetic Ecocert approved preservatives and all of Oskia products are free from artificial fragrances and chemicals, colorants, petrochemicals, silicones, DEA, TEA, sulphates or parabens- I urge you to read the skin nutrition information on Oskia’s internet site-it’s very comprehensive, honest and educational and I think we need to start making informed choices when it comes to the staff that we use on our skin, as opposed to looking at the ad on TV or in the press, thinking that we will look like the girl in the picture and rushing to buy that product!